Forgotten War
by Side Quest Publications
Summary: The true story of the traitor Voalt Remington, and the part he played in the Forgotten War.  Date unknown.
1. History

**I own Voalt. The only character actually mentioned in this chapter.**

**Warning: this story takes place so long ago, it's bound to be full of, and focused on, original (read: **_**my**_**) characters, with **_**maybe**_** a handful of canon characters making a brief appearance.  
>So if you're a canon purist of any kind, this story may not be for you.<strong>

**On the other hand, I **_**do**_** have plans to adapt this story for original fiction. Some things will need to be changed, of course.  
>If I adapt it, this "chapter" here is what I see as the quick synopsis on the back of the book, rather than an actual chapter.<strong>

* * *

><p>History remembers a pirate, who tricked his way into joining Albion's Knights of Aurora.<p>

History remembers that he _betrayed_ Albion, and tried to sell secrets to the Order of Ixis.

History remembers that, for all his fearsome reputation, this pirate was an insignificant player in a war that threatened to destroy an entire civilization.

History...is wrong.

This is the true story of Voalt Remington, and the part he played in the Forgotten War.


	2. Denizen of the Deep

**Okay, so I added a new chapter before this one. Or rather, an intro, of sorts.**

**I own Denizen, Fahd, Bilge, the (short-lived) captain, the councilor, the...  
>Well, I own everyone in this chapter. Except the species (echidna) and the city (Albion).<strong>

**This story came about because I had a dream. I dreamed I read a comic book featuring the main character (not seen yet). I didn't get much, just his name, and the barest glimpse of his personality.  
>The weird part was, that dream took place in "modern" times. The story you see before you takes place thousands of years ago. We'll see why...eventually.<strong>

* * *

><p>The merchant ship sailed towards the straits. The captain peered around nervously; he had no business along this stretch of coastline, no dealings with the people who sailed these parts.<p>

He was desperate to return to Albion, but his passenger had other ideas.

"Steady, Captain," the councilor said. "You _can_ sail those cliffs, can't you?"

"The _cliffs_ are not the trouble," the captain replied. He gritted his teeth at the other echidna's tone. "Pirates infest this region." He shuddered. _And not all of them are found on the water._

The councilor gave a quick nod. "We can leave, just as soon as I've unloaded the cargo." He put his hand out. "The spyglass, captain?"

The captain handed it over without a word. He didn't need it. He could see the other ship just fine, waiting in the shadow of the cliffs.

The councilor smiled. "I see no reason to move closer," he said, after they'd reached those shadows. He gestured at his soldiers.

The captain breathed a sigh of relief, even in sight of that ship.

And then he heard the struggle.

The captain turned to see two soldiers forcing a younger echidna out of the brig and onto the deck. Their prisoner looked beaten, half-starved, and three-quarters dead. But for all that, he looked oddly familiar.

The captain frowned, and watched the struggle out of the corner of his eye. The prisoner looked to be about half the councilor's age; his shorter muzzle marked him as a Nocturnus, and those tattoos as a mage—

The details clicked together, and the captain recalled the reports he'd seen months ago. He drew his rapier and yelled out a battle cry before launching himself at the soldiers. He distracted them long enough to make them drop the ambassador, but the younger man was far too weak to take advantage.

And before the captain could drive away the soldiers, a blow to the side of his head sent him tumbling to the deck.

"You are in _my_ employ," the councilor said. "_Captain_." He smiled. "You are not in command, here. This is my crew."

"This is _my_ ship—" the captain growled.

"The port is mine," the councilor replied. "Or near enough. And _your_ ship brought the ambassador out here. How will you make your trade when the Council finds out? Skulk around like some _pirate_?" He sneered. "Or perhaps you'd like to join my guests?"

The captain shot another look at the ambassador, and firmly clamped his mouth shut.

"I didn't think so." The councilor gestured to his soldiers again, and they picked up the young ambassador and threw him over the side of the ship.

The councilor went back down into the brig, while the soldiers kept a close eye on the cringing captain. Not one of them watched for the shapes swimming below.

—

A massive black iguana cut down one of the soldiers before the rest of the crew knew they were under attack. The other soldiers turned to fend off the pirates climbing over the sides of the ship.

The crew held back, letting the soldiers fight the battle they were trained for.

The captain simply tried to avoid notice and ran after the councilor.

The black iguana followed close behind.

"Get up!" the councilor growled at a form huddled at his feet. He kicked at the form.

"Councilor!" the captain yelled. "We're under—"

The councilor whirled and fired his pistol. The captain dropped, his words lost in a gurgle. "Teach you to interfere," the councilor muttered, and turned back to the huddled form.

"Now, I've _heard_ of shooting the messenger," the iguana said. "But that's the first I've ever _seen_ anyone do it."

The councilor turned and raised his pistol again, only to find it knocked out of his hand by the iguana's enormous tail.

The iguana chuckled.

The councilor drew his rapier and charged, and found himself _slammed_ into the wall by that tail. He clawed at the tail, fighting for his air.

"Ho, Bilge!" the iguana called out. "Fahd! You about done up there?"

The rat stuck his head in. "Yeah," Bilge replied. "We're done cleaning up out here. Fahd's checking out the rest of the cargo. Why, you find anything?"

"Have a look," the iguana said, gesturing towards the huddled form. He kept his tail firmly pressed against the councilor while Bilge scurried down to investigate.

A sand cat climbed down after him. "No goods on this ship," Fahd said to the iguana.

"Odd," the iguana replied. "They sold off their cargo, then?"

Fahd shook his head. "No gold, either. No cargo worth taking a merchant ship." He shrugged one shoulder. "Not unless they rid themselves some other way."

"Captain?" Bilge called out. "You might want to take a look."

Fahd nodded and took over watching the councilor, leaving the big iguana free to join Bilge.

The iguana bent down to peer at the huddled form...who whimpered and cringed away from him. "Please," she sobbed. "Please don't hurt me, I didn't do anything wrong."

"Hold still," the iguana ordered, and the female echidna froze. He grabbed her by the chin and looked over her. Like the young male they'd pulled from the sea, she was a mess of bruises and dried blood—impossible, now, to tell her original color. And gods only knew what other damage she'd suffered.

Her scent, though sharpened by her fear, was young, perhaps half the age of that echidna gasping and wheezing under Fahd's watch. And she _smelled_ like the old one—

The iguana's eyes went wide, and a growl rumbled in his throat.

She pulled free from his grasp and shivered against the wall.

The iguana chuckled. "No goods, huh? Little jewel here will fetch a handsome price at the right market."

Bilge and Fahd gave a start. The iguana flicked his gaze toward the councilor and back to them. They both nodded curtly and watched their prisoner.

The councilor was smiling. The expression was slight; they might not have seen it if they hadn't been watching for it.

"Or that mage we fished out of the sea?" the iguana continued. "Anybody would pay a fortune for the likes of him."

The councilor frowned.

The iguana caressed the female's chin, and she trembled and whimpered. "Just got to clean them up some..." His eyes traveled down to her bulging stomach. "And rid her of that baby."

"You can't be rid of demon-spawn so easily, pirate," the councilor rasped. "They turn on their masters." He climbed, shaking, to his feet. "Best send them back to Hell while you still can," he spat.

"I'll keep that in mind," the iguana replied. He pulled the girl over his shoulder—she was too weak to fight him, and too mindful of her stomach to try—and climbed to the deck.

Bilge and Fahd climbed out after him, and he handed the girl to them. He turned to face the councilor. "By the way, do you know how to sail this ship? _Alone_?"

"Er...no."

"I'll leave you with a day's store of food. I suggest you use that time to learn."

The councilor's eyes widened. "It took us three days to get here!"

"Learn _quickly_."

The councilor rushed toward the ladder. "You can't do this to me! I am a high councilor of Albion; you'll have a price on your head for this!"

The iguana chuckled. "I already have a price on my head, fool. Haven't you ever heard of Denizen of the Deep?" He waited until the councilor was almost up the ladder before slamming the door.

—

The Albion navy found the ship drifting a week later and pulled it into harbor. The councilor was half-mad from starvation, and though he eventually recovered, the Council never could learn exactly what had happened to him.

All anybody knew was that he, alone of all of his crew, survived an attack by the notorious demon pirate Denizen.


	3. Port

**I own Kaly, Denizen, Fahd, Bilge, the "rookie" echidna, the olive-furred female (Nocturnus) echidna, and any anonymous characters.  
>Archie comics owns the world it takes place in.<strong>

* * *

><p>"All hands!" Fahd called. "Storm brewing! All hands on deck. You, too, rookie," he said to the echidna who'd surrendered. "Go help with the rigging."<p>

"Yes, sir," the echidna replied, and ran to do as ordered.

Denizen climbed out of the hold. "How are the skies?"

"Blacker than the bottom of the devil's heart, Captain," Fahd replied. "I've only seen the skies like this in the desert storms."

Denizen nodded.

Fahd gripped the railing and peered out, trying to see with his cat's eyes see what the rest of the crew could not. "The storm is between us and port! Might be we could sail around it in four days—"

"We may not _have_ four days," Denizen snapped. "Bilge! Get that rookie! Ask him if he knows anything about birthing!"

"Yes, captain," the rat replied, and scurried up the ropes to find the echidna.

"Foul time for foul weather," Denizen muttered. "If that mage would wake, might be we wouldn't have this problem."

"You would trust our lives to a half-dead mage?" Fahd replied. "An _unknown_ mage?

"Maybe not." Denizen shook his head. The wind picked up, and he raised his voice to hear himself. "I'll need you down below!"

"My eyes are needed out here!"

"Even if that rookie does know anything useful, he won't have eyes to see in this muck. I need _you_ to be sure nothing goes wrong!"

A wave crashed over them, threatening to roll the ship. The clouds dropped closer to the sea, and the wind practically _threw_ the ship into the darkness.

Fahd blinked at the iguana. "It's the crew or the child, captain."

Bilge climbed out of the ropes long enough to shake his head at Denizen before returning to the rigging.

"Stay to your post, then," Denizen replied. "Demons take it!"

Fahd smiled. "That may be what they want," he said, peering into the clouds. "Why else try to keep us from port?"

"I suppose _you_ think it's demon-spawn?" Denizen growled.

"If it were demon-spawn," Fahd replied slowly, "I think they'd want it to live."

Denizen blinked, then nodded and returned to the hold.

Fahd did not bellow orders. For one thing, the wind had picked up again, too loud for his voice to carry. For another, the crew knew its job. Even that rookie merchant was doing well enough at the ropes.

Fahd simply took his place at the helm, watched into the storm, and prayed to whatever gods were listening that they would make it out.

—

It was impossible to tell how long or how far they sailed in that darkness. There were no stars to judge their position, and the wind blew at odd intervals that even the most skilled could not count.

Their hearts filled with the icy chill of the depths, and the crew began to count instead by the waves left before the ship might break apart.

Only the lone echidna refused to give in to despair. And so it was he who saw the pinprick of light, even before Fahd's feline eyes.

"Fahd, sir!" He climbed down out of the ropes to get the cat's attention. "Fahd! Look there!"

Fahd looked where the boy was pointing, and the pinprick became a sunburst amid the storm. "The Desert Flower—" he whispered. "Rookie, get the men back to their posts. _Beat_ them if you have to. But tell them we're making for the Flower."

"Yes, sir," the echidna replied, though he doubted the pirates would accept orders from _him_.

But neither doubt nor threat was warranted. Once the sunburst had appeared, that chill had vanished. They were wary of the sudden light, but eager enough for anything that could lead them from the storm.

Fahd beckoned one of the larger pirates over to the helm to replace him, then ran down to the hold to speak to Denizen. "Captain!" he called. "The Desert Flower, she comes! She has brought us the sun!"

Denizen stood over the female echidna, holding a small object in his arms. He turned to face Fahd.

Denizen looked completely puzzled.

"Captain?" Fahd tried again. He frowned. "What is that?" He peered at the object in Denizen's arms. It looked like no baby he'd ever seen. It rather looked like...

"It's...an _egg_," Denizen said.

—

It was a little after midnight when Fahd saw the first lights of the port town. The storm still rocked the ship, and he feared the damage if they docked close by, so he anchored a distance away and sent a few men to shore in rowboats.

Denizen reached the shore first, leaped onto the beach before his boat had even touched the ground, and raced in search of a healer. He took the egg with him, and Fahd stayed behind to make arrangements for the two dying echidnas.

Whatever fortune had carried them out to port stayed with the iguana, for he met Kaly herself. "Kalyptos," Denizen said, holding the egg out for the platypus to see, "what is this?"

Kaly lifted one eyebrow. "It's an egg." She shook her head and walked back towards her hut.

"I can see _that_," he snarled. "But it can't be an egg—" But Kalyptos was getting farther away, and Denizen had to jog to catch up.

"You poor dear," she said, and laughed. "One of your ladies finally got fed up with you, didn't she? And left you to take care of her baby?"

Denizen shook his head. "It isn't _mine_. You know I don't dally around like that."

Kaly took one glance at his confused expression and stopped laughing. "You're serious? You really don't know what this is?"

"I thought we'd agreed it was an egg," he muttered. He sighed. "It came from a mammal."

"Ah, I see. And you're thinking mammals don't lay eggs?"

Denizen nodded.

They went inside the hut before Kaly turned to face the iguana. "Let me see that egg."

Denizen placed the egg in her arms and let her examine it.

"Echidna?" Kaly said after a few minutes.

Denizen blinked several times, then finally nodded. "How did you figure?"

"Because two kinds of mammals _do_ lay eggs," she replied. "And this didn't come from a _platypus_." She set the egg down and stared at Denizen until he quavered. "Why don't you tell me how you got it?"

Denizen nodded. "In time."

"You'll not be leaving in _this_ weather. We have time enough."

—

Denizen did not leave Kaly waiting long. He only stepped out to summon Fahd, then swiftly returned, the two dying echidnas towed on planks between them.

The sight had gained the interest of the town. Most waited outside in the weather; the wisest returned to the tavern to wait for the tale, but for a foolish few, their curiosity overcame their fear of the foreign healer, and under the pretense of helping, they followed the pirates inside her hut.

And, by unspoken agreement, Fahd and Denizen began to tell the healer a carefully edited tale about the event.

"And when the soldiers saw that they were losing, they turned on their own crew," Fahd finished the story. He did not mention the one merchant who _had_ managed to surrender.

"My goodness!" one of the strangers, a female, olive-colored echidna exclaimed. "Did _anyone_ survive?"

Denizen shook his head. "None but these two."

"And now the egg," Fahd added. He nodded towards the echidna male. "You have a similar look to you," he said to the olive female. "Is he your kinsman?"

She shook her head. "I am of Nocturnus blood, yes, but I've been traveling for some time. I don't know him." She continued to stare hard at the echidna male.

"Can you restore them?" Denizen asked the healer.

"Hard to say," she replied. "Their hearts beat, but their spirits have fled."

"But you can call them back," Denizen insisted. "You can tell us _why_ he was so desperate to murder them."

"I am a _healer_," Kaly snapped, "not a necromancer. I cannot call the ghosts of the dead."

"Is it necromancy," Fahd asked, "if their hearts still beat?"

Kaly glanced at him and smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>Kaly's name (Kalyptos) is based on the word Eucalpytus—specifically, a species called Eucalyptus platypus. It probably would have worked better if she was a koala, but then she wouldn't have had <strong>_**nearly**_** as much fun teasing Denizen about the egg.  
>Her name is <strong>_**not**_** related to "Calpyso" from Pirates of the Caribbean (not intentionally related, at least, as it seems the words have a shared origin)...a similarity which I only recognized after naming her.**

**The echidna "rookie" is not a kid, nor a rookie. Fahd only called him that because he's the youngest person there.  
>That might become important...later.<strong>


	4. Hatching

**Don't know _why_ it took me so long to get this uploaded; this and another few scenes have already been written out. But at least this site is finally caught up again with my deviantArt account.  
>For now.<br>**

**I own Kaly, Adheera, Denizen, Fahd, and Voalt (finally named, yay!)**

**Okay, I **_**swear**_** I've seen Adheera somewhere...**

**If I ever actually rewrite this into an original story, **_**this**_** chapter is one of few that will need heavy revising.  
>Unless I populate the "original" version with anthropomorphic animals, in which case that need merely depends on what species I use.<strong>

* * *

><p>"Miss Kalyptos?"<p>

Kaly looked up to see the olive-furred echidna at the door. "I thought everyone would be at the tavern to hear the story."

The echidna chuckled. "Those two have been telling the same tale for days, now." She shrugged. "They're...making it sound more exciting, but they haven't said anything new."

Kaly grunted and turned away. She inspected the egg, and wrapped it up in a blanket, before turning back to her other patients.

The mage's heart rate spiked. Kaly frowned, but when she tried to set a spell on him, she found her magic blocked.

"Miss Kalyptos?" the olive-furred echidna said again. "I know a little magic of my own. I was thinking that I might be able to help?"

Kaly snorted. "And if I learn anything new, you'd be the first to hear it?" she snapped.

The olive-furred female wilted. "I..._was_ curious..."

Kaly shook her head. "I don't need stronger magics, girl. With a mage for a patient, I'd as soon use _less_." She blinked. "But I should not be quick to refuse an extra pair of hands. Especially not if those hands are attached to a head more sensible than the men, hah?"

"No, miss."

"So..." Kaly inclined her head at the olive-furred female.

"Adheera, miss."

"Adheera." Kaly rolled the name around in her mouth as though tasting it. "What do you know about healing?"

—

Adheera hurried through the muck to reach the tavern. "Captain Denizen!" she called out, once inside. "Captain Denizen, it's time!"

Denizen nodded, guzzled the rest of his grog, and followed the echidna back to Kaly's hut.

Inside, the platypus hovered over the egg. Nearby, two still figures were covered by a sheet.

Denizen stopped cold. "The parents?" he gasped.

Kaly shook her head. "My skills were not enough. They passed only minutes ago."

Adheera's gaze sharpened. "Ominous time for a birth," she muttered. She ignored the look Kaly gave her.

"Birth?" Denizen repeated. "Then the egg—"

"Will hatch," Kaly replied. "Within the hour."

Less than twenty minutes passed before the three heard the egg begin to crack. Kaly watched the egg carefully, and directed Adheera to fetch certain supplies from the shelves. Denizen fidgeted, torn between hovering over the egg and staying well out of the way of the two women.

And finally, the egg opened.

Kaly jerked back. "He's marked by the night demons!" she hissed, and drew her dagger.

—

"Denizen, you rotten cutthroat!" Kaly yelled from under the iguana's tail. "Let me up or I'll—"

"Or you'll _what_?" Denizen snarled. "Throw a cantrip at me?" He glanced at Adheera, but the echidna did not seem willing to fight. He returned his attention to the healer. "I could crush your throat before you breathed another _word_ if you raise your blade again."

Kaly stilled. She could fight, if she must; she had the training.

But most of her magics were centered around _healing_. And she hadn't had the skill to heal the last three people who'd gotten Denizen this angry.

And she was drained. Trying to restore those two echidnas had been more taxing than it should have been. "Let me up," she said again, her voice shaking. "Please."

Denizen lifted his tail, and turned so that both women were in front of him, and the baby was on the edge of his vision.

"Denizen, he is demon-marked," Kaly insisted. "You cannot hope to control him; demons _turn_ on their masters."

Denizen flinched at the words, so close to the councilor's own.

"What if we could tame him?" Adheera asked.

Kaly and Denizen blinked several times before staring at her. "Tame?" Kaly echoed.

"If he is demon spawn—"

"Nobody said he _was_ their spawn," Denizen growled.

Adheera waved off the interruption. "Demon marked, then." She eyed the crescent mark on the baby's chest. "He is linked to their magics, yes?"

"Yes," Kaly replied. "Which is _why_ he must be destroyed—"

"But don't you see? We can _use_ that!" Adheera's eyes glittered. "_We_ cannot control the demons, but he could." She hesitated. "With the proper training, of course."

"Of _course_," Denizen muttered.

Kaly frowned. "Impossible," she said. "I am a _healer_, Adheera, and no one else about has strong enough magics—"

"I have." Adheera's nervousness disappeared. She fetched one of Kaly's books and flipped through it until she found the page she wanted. "I don't have _your_ magics, Kalyptos; I am no healer, but I am well versed in raising demons."

Kaly tried to argue, but Adheera stared her down, and the platypus lost her resolve in that gaze. Kaly opened her mouth to approve—

"No," a voice hissed.

Kaly blinked, startled out of her daze. She looked over to where Denizen cradled the child in his arms, sheltered from both women.

Adheera looked stunned. "He needs my training," she protested, fixing the iguana with her glare. "Else he will never be more than their tool, their _weapon_ to strike whoever strays too close. You cannot protect something like that!"

"So you will make him _your_ tool, instead?" Denizen laughed through his bared fangs. "_No_. My crew rescued his parents; _I_ delivered the egg. I will take responsibility for him."

"You're _not_ serious," Kaly said.

"I am," Denizen replied. "The demons will never have him."

"If you are so certain..." Kaly gestured at the pages Adheera had opened. She turned back to Denizen. "Name him, then."

"I—" Denizen hesitated. There was no choice. If the child was nameless, he was vulnerable. The demons could take him, in spite of the iguana's vow.

But names had power. Any name would bind the child to it, and to the one who named him. The boy could not escape being _someone's_ tool.

"I cannot read demon script," Denizen said, to buy a little time. But the half-truth was loud in his ears. For a handful of letters, scattered across the page, had burned into his mind before he'd looked away. And once seen, they could not be unseen.

"Typical pirate," Kaly muttered. "Adheera—"

"Voalt," Denizen quickly said. _Random letters_, he reasoned. _No meaning at all. Nothing to bind him. That should be safe...shouldn't it?_ He took a deep breath. "His name is Voalt."


	5. Leaving Port

**These scenes were written out weeks ago. Other than editing for version (fan-fiction versus "original") I don't see why it took me so long to upload them.  
>Edits might still be necessary, though; I made several changes when I altered this for the "original" version, and I don't quite remember what was what.<strong>

**I own Denizen, Fahd, Voalt, and Jericho (formerly that "kid" who was the sole survivor of the merchant ship; finally named, and he will be named **_**much**_** sooner in the "original" version).**

* * *

><p>The crew and the town gathered that night, to send the deceased on their way. They laid the bodies together in a rowboat, and gathered around to lay out offerings of grog, or coin and small treasures.<p>

The procession went on all night, as more ships pulled in to port, and their crews learned the tale and left their own offerings to the dead.

Finally, when the sun's first rays touched the sky, Fahd stepped forward. "I pray that your gods will forgive us," he muttered to the dead echidnas, "strangers who do not know your ways, and cannot spare a better ship for your journey."

The sand cat looked around at the crowd, then raised his voice to carry over. "We come, many peoples, from many lands, to honor these strangers as our own. We knew them only days, and they knew us not at all, but in their deaths, they were as of our people. No matter the troubles that led to their fate, we pray, each to our own fashion, that they reach Fiddler's Green, or whatever land we call our final home."

The mood was too solemn for cheering, but a gentle murmur flowed through the crowd.

At Denizen's nod, Fahd took a torch and lit the funeral boat before pushing it out to sea.

The pyre grew high as the boat floated out of sight.

—

After the funeral, Denizen's crew prepared to return to their ship as quickly as appearances allowed.

The iguana waited until the land was out of sight before sticking his head into the brig. "You can come out now, Jericho."

The echidna merchant climbed out, the baby in his arms. "I still say I should have gone with you."

"Among that crowd?" Denizen snorted. "Not a chance. No telling if any of them was working for that councilor of yours."

Jericho gave him a panicked look.

"Maybe not _all_ pirates are the villains we're made out to be," Fahd added, "but enough are. You can't afford to let anyone know that you survived. Not yet."

"But I feel like I dishonored them by hiding," Jericho insisted. He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Like I disrespected Aurora."

Fahd placed a hand on the echidna's shoulder. "You show them greater honor," he said, "by surviving, so that one day you may tell your people what happened."

Jericho stared at the cat for several moments. Then his shoulders slumped, and he sighed. "I can't do that, sir."

"Why not?" Denizen asked.

"You didn't kill the councilor, did you, sir?"

Denizen shook his head.

"If he survived, I _can't_ go back home. I'll never have a chance to tell anyone. I'll be a dead man the moment I set foot in Albion. I—"

"You'll shirk your duties to your goddess, is what you're doing," Fahd snarled.

Jericho flinched. "I have _always_ accepted my duties, _if_ they are within my abilities."

"Aye, and who is to say they are?" Fahd replied. "Can you gauge your skills better than an experienced pirate? Or better than your goddess?"

"You're wasting your breath, Fahd," Denizen growled. "We can drop him off at the next port."

"But—but, sir," Jericho began.

Denizen shook his head. "No. Voalt can't fend for himself, not yet. But you _can_; you choose not to. I'll not have any freeloaders on my ship."

"I can learn," Jericho insisted. "I've already proven my worth in the storm. And your people can teach me to fight."

Fahd snorted. "Why? What's the use of learning if you never use it?"

"I will!" Jericho snapped. "If I have to. When I go back to Alb...ion..."

Denizen and Fahd exchanged glances. Then Fahd started laughing.

Denizen grinned. "Welcome to the crew, signer," the iguana said.

—

It took several hours of congratulating the stunned echidna before Fahd could get Denizen alone again, and the cat handed over an emerald medallion, cut to the shape of a leaf.

Denizen peered at the medallion closely. "Wasn't the mage wearing this?" he finally asked.

Fahd nodded. "I took it for the boy's inheritance," he replied, "and a few others."

"You took it." Denizen lifted an eyebrow. "From the _mage_."

"Aye, sir. And well that I did." A growl sounded low in the cat's throat. "A mage's belongings should be _destroyed_ on his death, or passed to one who would use it well. Not left with his corpse for anyone to find."

Denizen shrugged. "There are many gutless enough to steal from a corpse. We're hardly responsible for every thief out there—"

"Aye, but when the thief robs us of _our_ offerings, I must wonder at his designs," Fahd replied.

Denizen scowled. "What do you mean, robbed our offerings?"

"I made note of our offerings. But when I said the prayers over them, _every stone_ we'd left was gone! Not taken by the Desert Flower, either."

Denizen's scowl became a stare. "And the others?"

Fahd shook his head. "From our crew, only."

"I saw the other ships leave offerings worth far more than we could ever give," the iguana said. He frowned. "Now why would someone go to that trouble, just to rob _only_ our offerings?"

"Perhaps the thief thought they were not offerings," Fahd muttered. "The mage did come from our ship. Perhaps the thief thought they belonged to the dead."

Denizen's eyes grew wide. "Every ship that laid offerings knew that he was a mage," he muttered. Fahd nodded. "Who would be foolish enough to steal from a mage? _Especially_ from his funeral trappings." He shuddered.

"Who indeed, but another mage?" Fahd snarled.

Several minutes passed before Denizen broke the silence. "I think we will not be using that port again for some time."

* * *

><p><strong>Since Jericho insists on playing a larger role than "extra," he will be named much earlier ifwhen I revise this into an "original" story.  
>For the time being, though: <strong>_**get your furry butt out of my story until I call you!**_

**And...this story is going on temporary hiatus.  
>See, NaNoWriMo is coming up soon, and I never really made up my mind what I wanted to write for this year.<br>So I finally figured, since I want the rest of the story told from Voalt's perspective (he **_**is**_** supposed to be the main character), I might start my NaNo from there.  
>I'll technically be writing the "original" version for NaNo. Whether I'll go back to posting the fanfic version during November, or waiting until NaNo is over, remains to be seen.<br>Until then, I'll be editing last year's NaNo, and trying to work on Bad Blood and my various other ideas some more.  
>And working on homework and finding a job, of course, what with graduation looming. (With student loans to pay off and no job to cover them, believe me, graduation <strong>_**looms**_**.)**


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